Document text
Cost puts special-ed pact in doubt Superintendents balk at ESD�s $35,000-per-student estimate By DAMIAN MANN A special education accord is threatening to unravel after superintendents from Southern Oregon recoiled at the prospect of helping subsidize a $5 million program for 202 severely handicapped students. ESD plans to cut 13% of jobs In an effort to cut special education costs by $1 million, the Jackson Education Service District plans to lay off 38 staff members � about 13 percent of its work force. Part of a restructuring of special education services in Jackson and Klamath county schools, the ESD�s cutbacks would mean letting go of 36 full-time education assistant positions and two full-time teaching jobs. The ESD also serves Josephine County, but school districts there operate an independent special education program. "Special education represents two-thirds of the budget for ESD," said Paul Rickerson, director of special education services. "We are at the breaking point." The ESD proposes that school districts ultimately absorb some of the special education costs, which have increased about 10 percent a year. "That increase has consumed the limited financial resources of the ESD," said Rickerson. Special education enrollment has jumped about 14 percent annually, but state funding for the ESD has remained relatively flat during the last five years. Overall enrollment at most districts has nudged up an average 2 to 3 percent over the last five years. With a total budget of $15 million, the ESD will decrease the amount of support it provides districts for special education. A $6 million program for 247 handicapped students will be reduced to $5 million by allowing the districts to absorb 45 of the less-severely handicapped back into regular classrooms. This $1 million would be saved by reducing the 38 positions, but the ESD will not immediately feel the financial benefits of this plan. Instead, during the 2001-2002 school year, the ESD would help soften the financial hit to the districts by not charging for certain services. Rickerson said this one-year reprieve would give districts time to adjust to the new plan. Business Manager Howard George said it would only be a matter of time before the ESD runs out of money if it doesn�t make these cutbacks. The ESD wants to avoid using up any more of its budget for special education because it offers other services to school districts, including migrant education, English as a second language and technology programs. "We had some tentative agreements," said Prospect schools Superintendent Don Alexander. "Then the process seemed to fall apart." The accord calls for school districts to help subsidize special education programs run by the Jackson Education Service District, which is facing budget woes because of skyrocketing expenses and relatively flat revenues from the state. Superintendents grew alarmed when the Jackson ESD estimated it costs roughly $35,000 annually to teach each of the 65 most severely handicapped students in this program. They say Josephine County schools run a similar program for far less � roughly $20,000 a student at Three Rivers School District. However, ESD officials say that the Josephine County estimates may not accurately reflect all expenses related to special education. They also say when all 202 students in this ESD program are taken into account, the average cost is about $25,000. As part of the new funding plan, the ESD also wants schools to accept 45 less-severely handicapped special education students back into the classroom. In exchange, some schools combined would receive $1 million in services during the next fiscal year to help offset this increase in expenses. Ashland district Superintendent Juli Di Chiro said schools cannot afford this financial hit. "When you see $35,000, you cannot see any other option but to jump ship," she said. "This is forcing people�s hands. This is going to bankrupt the system." Di Chiro said she would even consider creating a consortium of districts if they could offer a service similar to the ESD�s but at a cheaper rate. Prior to the new funding plan, Di Chiro said there was a financial incentive to send children into the ESD program because it had been absorbing most of the costs. "Now there is almost a financial incentive not to," she said. Di Chiro said districts would have to wait another year before preparing a new special education plan. She did not support the ESD�s proposal to let districts accept 45 students back into regular classrooms. Paul Rickerson, director of the ESD�s special education services, said that soaring special education costs and increases in the number of students using the service are now consuming two-thirds of the ESD�s budget. "Costs are increasing 10 percent a year," he said. Rickerson said the ESD has devised a program in which each district would receive a level of service depending on the number of students enrolled. If the district exceeds its funding level, then it would have to make up the difference out of its general fund, he said. Some districts, such as Eagle Point, estimate they would have to cough up $645,000 under the new plan. With districts now paying for a service they hadn�t paid for before, Rickerson said there is a sharper focus on reducing costs. "The cost has become a concern because they (the districts) have to start participating in it," he said. But Rickerson agreed that the ESD needs to take a hard look at the way it provides services and will analyze how Josephine County manages special education. Medford schools Superintendent Steve Wisely said, "If it costs so much to do a cooperative (the ESD), how are these districts (in Josephine County) doing it so well individually? "We owe it to our community to take a look if there are other ways of delivery of education to our children." Wisely said the added scrutiny is a way to open up discussion and to bring down costs. "We are not trying to threaten anyone," he said. Wisely affirmed that the large districts always have supported the smaller ones and will continue to do so. "We are not going to let any small district flounder," he said. But ESD Superintendent Joe Crowder is worried over the potential of creating independent programs that would siphon off funds from his district and would then jeopardize special education in smaller districts. School systems in Prospect, Pinehurst, Rogue River and Butte Falls would especially suffer, he said, because they depend almost entirely on ESD for special education services while bigger districts, like Medford�s, handle some of their own programs. Eagle Point School District is also largely dependent on the ESD. He believes that estimates to run Josephine County�s program don�t accurately factor in speech therapists, psychologists and other specialists. "If each of the districts hired the staff, it would cost more than the ESD providing the staff," he said. But Crowder sensed that "the feeling is (among some districts) that �I can do this cheaper.� " Three Rivers School District Superintendent Chuck Barker believes a smaller program in his district allows more flexibility to adjust staff and administrative levels depending on the number of students enrolled in special education. This results in cheaper costs to operate the program, he said. "If it was cheaper to do it through the ESD, then we would do it in a heartbeat," Barker said. Three Rivers also receives $645,000 back from the ESD because it runs its own program. Eagle Point Superintendent Bill Jones said, "Because Eagle Point has been one of the heavy users of the services, we are rethinking how we want the services delivered to our students." Under the ESD plan, Eagle Point could eventually end up spending an extra $600,000 a year for special education services. "We just can�t afford to do it this way," said Jones. Most superintendents, he said, are especially worried about paying more for special education because they are already anticipating budget problems and potential cutbacks. Under the agreement, Prospect Superintendent Alexander would get two students previously under the guidance of the ESD, a situation that worries Alexander. "If the levels of service changed (for these students), how many lawsuits are we going to experience? It�s kind of a mess," he said. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.